The stages of a disaster — by executivewear

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has his own emergency wear. (Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)

Even the most unpredictable storms or natural disasters go through readily identifiable stages. And all you need to distinguish each step is to see what the chief executive is wearing.

The attire of a president, governor or mayor may seem trivial, But optics are important. They send a reassuring subliminal message: I’m on it.

Here are the stages (they work for both male and female executives):

No tie/casual shirt. This is the run-up to an event such as a hurricane. It’s still business (jacket required), but not business as usual.

No jacket/rolled-up sleeves. It’s about to hit, and real work needs to be done. Physical work.

Emergency responder garb; jeans/khakis. It’s on. Pullover, windbreaker or jacket required. (Gov. Andrew Cuomo went with the State Police jacket.) The jeans — NOT creased and new — complete the impression of a leader doing field work.

And when touring a disaster site the attire (at least the jeans) are mandatory. No exceptions.

Jacket/casual shirt/jeans. For the immediate aftermath while not touring damage sites. Physical work to be done, but getting back to business.

Normal business attire. The immediate danger has passed. Now comes the time to pay for it.